Increasing Intimacy with the Three-in-One

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord … that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.      

~ Taken from Philippians 3:8 and 10 ~ 

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.                                

 ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 ~

The Apostle Paul expressed the hunger of his heart for ever increasing intimacy with Jesus. Our intimate relationship with the Three-in-One can be fueled by a greater conscious awareness of our deepest longings. When we are in touch with what we deeply yearn for that we cannot satisfy through our own efforts, it can heighten our passion for God as the only one who can deeply quench our hunger and thirst.

This realization can also induce greater brokenness to self, sincere humility, and foster a deeper and more profound dependence upon God and His Word. When a person is out of touch with what is going on below the surface of his or her life, relating to God can easily become blasé and boring. When we’re numb on the inside, it’s next to impossible to experience a genuine appetite for God. A keen awareness of our desperate need is a key ingredient in our passion for God.

God is the only Being who already knows everything that goes on in our hearts: the deep longings, the pain, our true intentions, the scheming, the garbage, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Therefore it’s foolish to try to hide what’s going on deep within from Him. In fact, the Psalmist encourages to “Trust in Him at all times … Pour out our hearts before Him” because “God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). Our dependence is exhibited by sharing all that we are thinking, struggling with, happy about and sad over with Him in prayer. The constant awareness of our neediness can move us toward a deeper and richer intimacy with the perfect lover of our souls and to persistently listen for His still small voice.

Where do you find yourself in your intimate experience of the Three-in-One? Stifled? Growing? Craving more? Desperate? Discouraged? Encouraged? Losing hope? What are you learning about this important area of life?